Denver forces Game 7, OKC’s next game is Monday

The Nuggets pummeled the Lakers 113-96 in Game 6 forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 in Los Angeles Saturday.

What’s that mean for the Thunder? Oklahoma City gets the winner of that game Monday, meaning the Thunder will have gone nine days without playing since completing their sweep over Dallas. That’s nine days of rest for Kendrick Perkins who strained his right hip flexor in Game 4, an injury that typically takes 10-14 days to recover from, depending on severity.

It also means Metta World Peace will return for the Lakers in Game 7. But it’s no guarantee that the Thunder will be taking on the Lakers in round two. Not with the way things have gone recently in this series. The Lakers led 3-1, but even that third win felt like a giveaway from the Nuggets. Denver then took Game 5 after holding a pretty solid fourth quarter lead and then Game 6 by 17.

Game 7 is Saturday, so the Thunder will finally know their next opponent then. And by the way things look, there’s no telling who it might be.

honestly neither team worries me. lakers only have kobe really, and denver...sigh they seem to forget we beat them in 5 last year and dominated them this season. PSSST, a little knowledge for you nugs, we are better than last year ;) k thanks

If the Nugs win tonight, they are going to be a lot to handle. They gained confidence at the end of the season and beat the Thunder in a game where the Thunder actually played their starters and tried to get a win. Their comeback (if they seal it) will give them even more confidence.

I don't like it. Ty Lawson is a pain and fits the mold of PG's that give OKC fits. Denver is one of the few teams that can hang when OKC goes small. They have a lot of energy guys who make hustle plays. It's a trap. We should all be pulling for the Lakers, in my opinion.

L.A. looks mentally weak. I hope they pull out a win tonight because I think the Thunder will dominate them. The Nuggs ran them ragged and it appeared to this observer that the Thunder would only need to smack them hard once and the series would be over.

If the Lakers get knocked out of the first round, then all that hubbub about how long Artest should have been suspended will be pointless - he will have cost (arguably) the team the series and Kobe'll make him and Bynum pay for it next year.

@BRY BRY I think LA is the more talented team, and that we match up well with either one. In that vein, it's always in our best interest to play the lesser team. When it comes down to it, we would have the three best players in every game against Denver - that wouldn't be true against LA.

I think we would handle Denver a lot easier if we played better defense, especially at the point of attack. If Russ continues to play engaged defense on Lawson and the team as a whole continues the pattern of playing more consistent defense in the playoffs, we could realistically be looking at two straight sweeps. Denver beat us one out of 3 games because we weren't sharp in transition. Take that away from them and we are the vastly superior team.

Artest shouldn't be a piece the Lakers need to get past the Nugs. It falls to that allstar trio that can't seem to keep their heads in the game. If they get ousted in the first round, I expect an inglorious breakup once trade season starts back up.

@BRY BRY yeah, they were here when they went up 3-1 and they thought they would play us, but have since disappeared, however nuggs fans are stiffs board are already talking about how they will beat us.